This versatile pump is a compact contortionist The E8 3/8-in. Mini-Matic pump (photo) weighs just 3 lb but can pump as much as 6.8 gal/min and deliver pressures up to 100 psi. It can be mounted upright,…
Next year, DuPont (Wilmington, Del.; edlinks.chemengonline.com/6516-538) plans to introduce a new family of thermoplastic nanocomposites that yield “substantial improvements” in key, desirable properties. With proper dispersion in a polymer, small amounts of a naturally occurring material form nanoscale reinforcement structures…
ADA-ES, Inc. (Littleton, Colo.; edlinks.chemengonline.com/6516-550) has been awarded a contract from the U.S. DOE to develop an improved process for manufacturing activated carbon (AC). AC is the key chemical used in ADA-ES’s mercury-control technology (CE, December 2004, p. 18) —…
Nanotechnology, in the form of nanomaterials, is already a significant business for the chemical process industries (CPI). One recent study says that this year’s global nanotechnology market is worth more than $10 billion, of which 86% is attributable…
In widespread use throughout chemical process plants, centrifugal pumps are often employed (and taken for granted) in severe service conditions. Consequently, it is hardly surprising that problems can arise during their operation. A major difficulty facing the chemical…
Merck (see item above) received the Greener Synthetic Pathways Award for discovering a catalytic synthesis for sitagliptin (a chiral β-amino acid derivative), an active ingredient for the company's new treatment for type 2 diabetes, Junuvia. The synthesis generates 220 pounds…
Professor Suppes received the Academic Award (see item above) for developing a process to convert glycerin - a byproduct of biodiesel production - into propylene glycol, which can replace ethylene glycol in automobile antifreeze. Suppes' developed a new copper chromite…
Eliminate contamination with these drive sockets Designed for sterile and critical environment applications, these 1/4-in. drive stainless-steel deep sockets (photo) are manufactured entirely from 17-4PH stainless steel, so no chrome plating is required on the surface. The risk…
Researchers at CSIRO Exploration and Mining (Kensington, Australia; edlinks.chemengonline.com/6515-548) have discovered that a bacterium, called Ralstonia metallidurans, may be responsible for the formation of secondary gold grains in nature. Cultures of the R. metallidurans - identified, using molecular biology techniques,…
Two chemicals producers have recently reaped the benefits of high-throughput-screening technologies, through research collaborations with Symyx Technologies, Inc. (Santa Clara, Calif.; edlinks.chemengonline.com/6515-550). In April, Celanese Corp. (Dallas, Tex.) deployed a new catalyst at one of its vinyl acetate plants. The…